Thursday, February 16, 2012

It includes e Mail ids of Region Centres and Tele numbers of ECHS functionaries. There is also a click on for Claim status. This should be a Great help.Please send in your suggestions for improvement to ECHS, with cc to me if you wish. Its really a GREAT site. DO visit. You will find answers to all your queries. Cheers. And lots of Good Health.

I am compiling points for improvements of ECHS services, to project them to MD/ AG. Kindly help by forwarding a) Problems specific to YOUR area (mention Polyclinic location to which point pertains), and b) Suggestions for improvement- Needless to say these should be general in nature and not specific to you personally.Please let me have these by 1000 hrs Monday 13 Feb POSITIVELY. Thanks.Also, lastly if YOU have a specific long standing problem that's not been resolved even after your efforts, kindly share details separately- Wednesday on.The former requirement is time bound. The last para is not. Feel free to write to me. Those reading this on blog, please respond on my id rpchaturvedi@gmail.com, and not on blog address please. Thanks.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

On behalf of the IESM, I express my deep gratitude to you for your generous donation to the cause of the veterans' welfare. You have been kind in doing it regularly. We highly appreciate your exemplary gesture and will ensure that your contribution is used for the intended purpose.

Commander Ravindra Waman Pathak, convenor of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), studied in various schools while travelling with his IAS father. He finished his schooling from Sainik School, Satara and joined the National Defence Academy as a naval cadet in 1965. He joined the Indian Navy in 1969 and saw action during the 1971 war. During his tenure, he specialised in navigation duties and commanded two warships. He was the intelligence and protocol officer at Western Naval Command at the time of his retirement in 1989. Pathak spoke to Kiran Dahitule about IESM, which is a NGO working for the cause of retired defence personnel.

What is the aim of IESM?IESM was born in 2008 to protest against the injustice meted out to retired defence personnel that has been taking place since 1947 when Jawaharlal Nehru said independent India does not need armed forces until after the sixth pay commission. Our main aim is to fight for OROP (one rank, one pension), which means same pension for same rank irrespective of the date of retirement. We strongly feel that a separate pay commission for the defence forces should be set up on the lines of other national commissions.

What issues are being tackled by IESM?One of the major issues that we are handling is injustice against widows and officers. Having increased the pensions of JCOs (junior commissioned officer) and those below them with effect from July 1, 2009, which aims to bring near parity with post 2006 retirees, the Indian government did not give any benefits to widows or the officers. The officers have been provided relief by AFT (Armed Forces Tribunal) but the government is yet to implement the ruling. Denial of the right to vote is yet another issue we are looking at. The serving personnel have been denied the right to vote at their place of posting since 1995 after the Supreme Court judgment on the same.

What are the problems faced by ex-servicemen and widows of servicemen and how does IESM plan to resolve it?The IESM is working at ground level in the following areas: Pension: We liaise with banks and record offices to correct the pensions and payment of dues in time.ECHS: We have been officially recognised as the liaison between the ECHS (Ex-servicemen contributory health scheme) central organisation and the veterans. We are committed to spread the word about ECHS to veterans and encourage them to benefit from this very good scheme.We are also working towards improving other benefits like Ayurveda treatment offered to veterans, fixed medical allowance for those living far from ECHS polyclinics, improvement in canteen services and ensuring the right to vote for serving personnel in places of posting. IESM does not work on issues that are at local level.

How can people contact you or how can they become members of your NGO?For enrolling as members or to get redressal on issues connected with pension one can contact the following:Cdr R W Pathak, 982329340, raviwarsha@gmail.com Gp Capt SS Phatak, 9421003200, sushan1005@yahoo.comLt Col Vinod Patil, 9923701885, bscd5791@gmail.com

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Pl. pass the information that Lt Gen Ranjit Singh Dayal, MVC, PVSM, , ADC passed away in Chandigarh at the age of 83. He was former Army Commander, Lt Governor of Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and a Member of UPSC during this life time.

He was Georgian from Jullundhar School. He was Patron of Georgians Association - Delhi.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

One rank one pension to the armed forces personnel…Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:30 PM PSTParliament of India (Rajya Sabha Secretariat)Press ReleaseHundred and Forty-second Report on the petition praying for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces personnel.The Committee on Petitions of Rajya Sabha under the Chairmanship of Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, MP, presented its Hundred and Forty-second Report to the Rajya Sabha on 19th December, 2011 on the petition praying for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces personnel. 2. The Petition was submitted by Shri Sanjay Prabhu and others, resident of Bangalore and countersigned by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, Rajya Sabha.3. The Committee during the course of its deliberations interacted with the petitioners, representatives of Departments of Ex-servicemen Welfare (M/o Defence), Expenditure (M/o Finance) and Pensions and Pensioner's Welfare (M/o Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions) and some organizations/individuals. 4. Following are the important recommendations of the Committee:-4.1 The Committee has taken note of the fact that a sum of Rs.1300 crores is the total financial liability for the year 2011-12 in case OROP is implemented fully for all the defence personnel in the country across the board. The Committee was informed that out of this, 1065 crores would go to retirees belonging to Post Below Officer Ranks (PBOR) while the Commissioned Officers would be getting the remaining i.e. 235 crores. The Committee felt that 1300 crores is not a very big amount for a country of our size and economy for meeting the long pending demand of the armed forces of the country. The Committee understand that this 1300 crores is the expenditure for one year which might increase at the rate of 10 percent annually. Even if it is so, the Committee does not consider this amount to be high, keeping in view the objective for which it would be spent. (Para 11 of the Report)4.2 The Committee was not convinced with the version of the Ministry of Finance that the grant of OROP to the defence personnel would eventually generate similar requests from the civilian work force of the country under the Central Government and the State Governments. The Committee feels so because of the quite different terms and conditions of service of the two different categories of employments. The terms and conditions of armed forces are tougher and harsher than the civilian Government employee. On the issue of returning of service medals by the defence personnel of our country to the President of India in view of the Governments' apathetic attitude towards their demand of grant of OROP, the Committee was of the view that our defence personnel should not feel alienated to this extent again and they are not forced to surrender their hard earned service medals in this manner to exhibit their discontent with the government policies. (Para 11.2 of the Report)4.3 The Committee also felt that the decision of the Government to bring our defence personnel on the pattern of the civilians with regard to their pay, pension, etc. (from Third Central Pay Commission onwards) is not a considered decision which has caused hardship to the defence personnel and has given birth to their demand for OROP. The Committee understand that before the Third Central Pay Commission, the defence personnel were getting their pay / pension on the basis of separate criteria unconnected with the criteria devised for the civilian work force. That criteria acknowledged and covered the concept of OROP which has been given up after the Third Central Pay Commission. (Para 11.4 of the Report)*****